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The current labor agreement between MLB and the MLB Players Association is set to expire this week, and with it, panic has begun to set in with the fans. Worry about a lockout has drifted into the conversation ever since the topic of management’s push to get an International Draft in place and what—if any—concessions would be offered the players that would get them to agree to it. That sticking point has been said to be where, come Dec. 1, a lockout could occur.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred could see the current labor agreement with the players expire on Dec 1st. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

There’s ample pressure to get a deal done. With 21 years of labor peace, new comers in Rob Manfred as the league’s commissioner and Tony Clark as the executive director of the MLBPA would have the “they broke the labor peace streak” moniker placed upon them. To add, the Baseball Winter Meetings start next week, and with any lockout free agency would stop. That’s not the only thing that takes place at the annual meetings, but it would sure be the topic of conversation by all attending.

There’s still a good chance a deal gets done before Thursday as meetings with key negotiators are in place as the week begins:

Talks will resume and should intensify at union meetings starting tomorrow in Dallas. MLB negotiators will be present; many players, too.

But here’s what also could take place: an extension of the current labor deal.

Manfred and Clark could announce that enough of the principle pieces are in place to say that they need just a bit more time past the deadline to put a bow on the new CBA. While this isn’t optimal with the Winter Meetings starting (agents, players, and clubs would be hesitant to pull the trigger on deals not knowing what ultimately the final ground rules are), there could be enough pieces finalized to go forward. The extension sends a message to all, including fans and the media, that a deal is close at hand. No, they didn’t meet the deadline, but then there also wouldn’t be a lockout.

The odds that a deal gets done seem significantly higher than a lockout by the deadline. But even if a deal isn’t reached by Dec. 1st, the league and union have options other than a lockout. After all, the owners will look bad given that this year will assuredly see record revenues surpassing $10 billion, they launched BAMTech, sponsorships were lucrative, and postseason ratings were through the roof. Only time will tell what ultimately happens. The one thing that is certain is we won’t have to wait long to find out. One way or another things in Major League Baseball will shift no later than Dec. 1st.